ZX Computings - OpenLibra

as your skills in
programming allow.
Don't allow the computer
to respond "too
instantaneously". An
apparent immediate
response does not impress
the player.
Choose your GO-BACK-TO
destinations carefully. It
is pleasant for the ego
when the computer asks
for your name and instantly
promotes you to
"CAPTAIN. . ."but it
soon becomes an irritating
chore if this ritual has to be
repeated on each replay.
Take particular care to
make programs crashproof.
There are some who,
finding themselves in an
irretrievable position, would
crash the program rather
than suffer the humilation
of being beaten by "some
damned machine".
Try and add a few original
twists. For example, allow
a few loop holes for
cheating but make the
computer respond with
something like,
"We noticed your pathetic
attempt at subterfuge three
lines ago, but in view of your
obvious immaturity, we
decided to overlook the
matter. Should it occur again
you will be disqualified."
Note the use of the royal
"WE" above. . . very useful
little dodge to create an air of
omnipotence, although don't
overdo it by using phrases like
"Mv RAMS and I ";
Dynamic Art
Providing the world "art" is
not taken too literally, some
quite astonising moving
patterns can be generated on
most of the home computers.
They are however far more
impressive if you are fortunate
enough to own an APPLE or
other model which includes
colour combined with highresolution
graphics. The
ZX81, despite the great play
made of its "graphics facility"
is not really suited to the job. It
certainly has very useful
graphic "keys" but the
resolution in general is
pathetic; equivalent to
painting a portrait with a ten
inch ceiling brush.
Sorting DATA
It is this area that the
computer is truly at home.
Every home computing
enthusiast should take "data
processing" seriously. Strange
how so many writers
attempting to teach this
subject use examples like milk
bills to start off with. Milk is of
course a delightful source of
health giving energy but the
compilation of milk bills is not
likely to cause a flutter of
excitement, followed by a
mad rush to write the
program.
My wife would look at me
in sheer astonisment if I
suggested she used my ZX81
each month. She would
probably write it out on the
back of an envelope in ten
seconds flat, certainly before I
would have time to fumble
round for the ON/OFF switch.
It is appreciated of course that
such simple examples are
typical weapons of the
educationalists, based on the
principle "teach from the
know to the unknown", "use
homely analogies" etc etc.
There is a danger however
of de-glamourising a subject
and underestimating the public
mood and intelligence. Why
not substitute plutonium
imports for milk bills? The
program would be just as easy
to write and marginally more
exciting.
Tape books
Sales brouchures often draw
attention to advantages of
storing useful day to day
information on home
computers, recipes etc.
General purpose reference
"books" can certainly be very
useful on tape, providing there
is a title selection page or
pages. Once the tape is loaded
(the most annoying stage), it
is quicker to get at a given
page by pressing a number
key than turning the pages of
a paper book.
Programming
It is difficult to say anything
original on this subject.
Literally hundreds of books
have been written on the
BASIC language alone,
besides the thousands written
on programming principles in
general. However good the
manuals supplied are it is
almost essential to dip into the
pocket again and buy at least
one book on BASIC. Which
one? For what it is worth, I
have been impressed (and
educated) by "BASIC AND
THE PERSONAL COMPUTER"
by Thomas A. Dwyer and
Margot Critchfield but there
are probably dozens of equally
as useful. The following little
snippets of wisdom (?) may be
of some assistance to those
who, like myself, have no
natural abilities in the art of
programming.
1) Buy a good book on BASIC
and carry out EVERY example
of it. It's not a bit of use just
"reading" a book on this
subject.
2) Buy as many magazines on
computing as you can afford
in addition to this one of
course.
3) Keep a notebook, or
preferably a card index
system, and copy down every
little programming "module" (
or dodge which has general
purpose use. In this way you
gradually acquire a
background in fundamental
techniques and you can slip
them in your programs
whenever the need arises. Is
this cheating? Depends on I
32 ZX COMPUTING SUMMER IS ZX COI